December 24, 2005

It seems that every year, there's something that gets us started singing "Blue Christmas." Like last year, it was another photograph: here.

Now we're listening to various versions of "Blue Christmas" -- first Elvis (the best), then Ringo, then the Beach Boys (the second best), Jon Bon Jovi, Vince Gill, Willie Nelson (nicely zippy), Fats Domino, Low, Leon Redbone, the Platters, Chris Isaak, Dean Martin, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Harry Connick Jr., Sheryl Crow (the worst!), Booker T. & the MGs, John Holt (reggae does not fit this song), Tammy Wynette... I note that most artists try to sing the song like Elvis -- it's pretty much homage to Elvis for Ringo, Bon Jovi, and many others. Too many people make a big point of slowing the song way down (which is, apparently, a way of life for Low). Ah, now we're back to Elvis, with a different version, from the 1968 TV special. The greatness of Elvis really came through in that little exercise.

You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white/But I'll have a blue, blue Christmas.

I'm home in New Orleans, for a week now, and without going into a lot of detail, things are rough. But it IS Christmas, and I put lights up on my porch for the first time ever--I didn't do a very good job, but they're bright! I'm baking pecan pies, and making sugar cookies.

Your picture makes me lonely for the Berkshires cabin where we had refuge and comfort for the past eight weeks. It snowed! We enjoyed it until we had to wait for a man to come plow a path to the road.

My favorite ornament of the season brings this post back to blue Elvis: on a shiny, light blue Christmas ball are the outlines of three Victorian houses whose roofs are covered with the ubiquitous blue tarps, courtesy of FEMA. In glittery script is written Blue Roof Christmas. And just yesterday I drove through one of the worst-hit areas, past houses that took water and mud up to their ceilings. No one lives there, there is no power, no lights, and the streets are still thick with mud in some stretches. But someone had placed a Santa, snowman and elf, and a manger scene on their front lawn all the same.

Merry Christmas all. May you be as blessed with friends, comfort and joy as I have been these past few months. Ann, thanks for this beautiful image.

It is warm here in Phoenix, and I am at my mom's. Her house is a mess, and she is out front watching tv with her homeless friends, one of whom she is kind of in love with, despite being married to her husband (who is a stunt double for Satan, and oddly off at work tonight, and who treats her rather badly, and who thankfully is not my father).

So I am sitting here, fixing the sound and printer on her computer, and asking myself, "What am I doing here?" I am quite hungry. Elton John's "Believe" is playing on the computer (part of my pre-positioned supply of mp3's I leave hidden in her computer for such visits).

Merry Christmas to you Ann, and to those you love. This is one of the best blogs ever.

Merry Christmas fellow commenters. I wish there was snow here, or something bright.